Building with purpose: impact-driven entrepreneurship in Luxembourg

​What does it really take to build something that matters — and to do it from Luxembourg? This session brings together three women who have turned lived challenges into ventures that reshape how we think about health, rights and accessibility.

​Astou Ndiaye, Founder & CEO of health-tech startup Hale-X, opens up the Luxembourg startup ecosystem from the inside. Using AI and patient "digital twins," Hale-X turns complex, scattered health data into actionable insight for hospitals and labs — helping clinicians move from reacting to preventing. Astou shares how she turned a personal health crisis into a company running live clinical pilots, and what entrepreneurship looks like when it's built around impact.

​Nadia Kendall, jurist and Director of Be Human, brings a rights-based lens. Recipient of the 2024 Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Youth Peace Worker, Forbes 30 under 30she works to equip young women and underrepresented groups with the skills and tools to overcome visible and invisible barriers — through initiatives like PowHer and the Hidden Disabilities Hub.

​Jana Degrott, jurist and social entrepreneur, speaks to building an entire impact ecosystem — from founding Be Human in 2015 to launching Real Impact Hub, her accessibility consultancy. An Obama Leader and Gates Foundation SDG 5 Goalkeeper, she champions a society where everyone can reach their full potential, regardless of origin, gender or ability.

​We will explore what it means to build businesses and movements around impact — the setbacks, the breakthroughs, and the practical realities of driving change from Luxembourg.